Daniel Wikberg’s Post

Do you want to close more deals? Stop winging it! Every sales objection is an opportunity—IF YOU’RE PREPARED. The most successful salespeople have this one quality 👇 They don’t leave their responses to chance.  They create a response playbook. Is it a script? No. A Sales Objection Response Playbook is a flexible guide to navigating client objections like a pro. With this, you’ll never be left searching for the right words.  Here’s how to build yours:   1️⃣ Write down the most common objections   2️⃣ Craft your perfect responses   3️⃣ Test them out and refine  Now, I know this is easier said than done ✅ However, after bringing +$500M in client sales within my 30 years of experience… I have done the homework for you and I am giving it away FOR FREE for the next 48 hours ⏱️ Do you want this playbook loaded with client objections and their solutions to nail your next client call like a pro? [Even if you’re a beginner at sales] All you have to do is: 1. Comment the🙋🏻♂️emoji 2. Repost it in your network ♻️ 3. Send me a Connection Request 🤝 I’ll DM you My Sales Objection Response Playbook in the next 48 hours 🙌

Closed the biggest deal of my sales career yesterday ☺️ 60 days start to finish for a spicy cold outbound 6 figure 🤝 Here’s how it went down… Cold outreach via InMail to the CISO (utility company) - not super personalized, but relevant b/c I used BuiltWith & saw they’re using tech we integrate with, so I lead with that + a problem we could help solve Meeting booked from there - he had heard of us so that helped 30 min discovery - turns out they had plans to procure a password manager in q1 - good timing! Set a time for a demo, he had to reschedule the first time so I was nervous that priorities may have shifted but we did manage to get it rebooked (phew) Demo rebooked and well attended - learned that they were now looking at other providers (pretty common in our biz) Post demo they went quiet for a bit, leveraged management to get them re-engaged at which point they asked for a 2 week POC - no problem POC kickoff call w/SE + manager Commercials call where we presented pricing/confirmed that it made sense with the project budget (should have done this earlier tbh) Mid POC check in call w/SE + manager Post-POC call/VOC confirmation - brought in a member of our SLT to answer any lingering product questions Final call where verbal green light was confirmed Signature 🥳 What I did well: - always booking a next step call at the end of each call, CISOs are busy & their calendars are a mess so this was critical - rapport w/economic buyer - my speciality - mutual plan - uncovering decision criteria & process - getting ahead of legal What I could have done better: - budget convo up front - multi-threading - if I lost touch with him the deal would have been toast - asking earlier about other vendors - this threw me for a loop when he mentioned it! - uncovered stronger metrics - tough to do in our business but do-able No deal is perfect but I’m proud of how I ran this one, especially because it was self-sourced Learned a lot & never gave up Happy Q4 to all my fellow women in sales, we’re worthy of success ❤️🔥

When I started in sales, I remembered this top performer. He wasn't overwhelmed, running around, worried about making quota. So, I asked him, “How do you sell so much without being a frantic, sales maniac like everyone else?”   He said, “You're focusing on the wrong prospects. You only get credit and paid on deals that close. Why spend all your time on deals that won’t?”   “How do I know?” I asked.   He said, “Find out. Do they behave, act, and participate with you like the deals that close?”   Stop focusing on the 'promising' prospects that aren't going to close and hyper-qualify to uncover the deals that are closable, winnable, and you have a path to do so before ending a meeting.   1. How are you feeling about our conversation?   2. How well did we achieve your objectives?   3. What about our product/service do you find most valuable?   4. What concerns, if any, do you have that could get in the way of us working together?   5. What’s your timeline around making this decision?   6. Other than you, who else would be part of this evaluation and decision-making process and should be included in our next meeting?   7. If we get this information for you by Tuesday, when would you have a chance to review this so we can schedule our next meeting now?

The last time I didn’t dig for objections, it cost me 6 figures in lost revenue. You want to believe your prospect’s words are true. They may even be the real view from their position. But in enterprise deals and complex sales, There are always multiple truths. There are hidden problems. There are assumptions. “We don’t feel like we think, we don’t say what we think and we don’t do what we say”, David Ogilvy said that and it’s true. Here’ WYAD) (What you actually do): 1. Push for Objections If they don’t surface, dig deeper. No deal is solid unless stress-tested. Push them to reveal doubts, don't settle for easy agreement. 2. Qualify with Evidence Qualify the client based on actions, not words. If they claim urgency but don’t act - red flag. Only move forward when actions match claims. 3. Demand Written Commitments Get every agreement in writing. Verbal promises don’t count. Document everything to ensure accountability. Forcing clarity and confronting assumptions leads to deals that are real, not just lip service. ————————————— House of Sales Learn.Sell.Grow. ————————————— P.S. If you are glossing over the cracks in your sales skills, then you can just get trained instead - see my profile.

What do do when a promising sales lead keeps stalling a 'buy' decision ? How will you encourage them to make a decision and close the sale? It is every sales warriors dilemma and a predicament when faced with a stalled lead. When a promising lead hesitates, shift from persuasion to problem-solving. Instead of simply repeating your value proposition, get into their specific concerns. Get to the root of their hesitation. Ask open-ended questions, like, -> Is it budget constraints? -> Implementation challenges? -> Would that involve Internal buy-in? Once you pinpoint the obstacle, collaborate on solutions. Offer customisation, connect them with relevant resources, or even propose a pilot program to demonstrate value firsthand. This can transform the sales process into a partnership, It can build trust and shows your commitment to their success. When you address their concerns proactively and creatively, you guide them towards a confident decision. To move forward, break the impasse and gently nudge them towards a decision. Pivot from pause to proceed. Sale is not the only goal and don't expect every interaction to end up in sales. Show the enjoyable outcome post sales. Reaffirm the value. Emphasise how your offering aligns with their needs. Create urgency by suggesting a timeline for special offers. Provide social proof. Share success stories from similar clients. And, close the deal and add super value to the client after the sale.

🚫 Avoid These Pitfalls: Top 5 Things NOT to Do in a Sales Meeting 🚫 Sales meetings are critical opportunities to build relationships and close deals. At Acquirent, we know that success often hinges on avoiding common mistakes. Here are the top 5 things you should NEVER do in a sales meeting: 1. Don’t Push the Timeline: Rushing the prospect to make a decision can backfire. Respect their process and timelines, and provide the information they need to make an informed decision at their own pace. 2. Don’t Bad Mouth a Competitor: Speaking negatively about competitors can come across as unprofessional and insecure. Focus on highlighting the unique value your solution brings, rather than disparaging others. 3. Don’t Oversell: Avoid overwhelming your prospect with too much information or exaggerated claims. Be honest, clear, and concise about how your product or service can meet their needs. 4. Do What You Say You’re Going to Do: Reliability is crucial. If you promise to follow up with additional information or take specific actions, make sure you follow through promptly. Consistency builds trust and credibility. 5. Don’t Ask “What Keeps You Up at Night?”: This cliché question is overused and can seem insincere. Instead, ask more specific and thoughtful questions that show you’ve done your homework and genuinely care about their business challenges. At Acquirent, we train our sales professionals to avoid these pitfalls and excel in their sales meetings. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement, we ensure that our team is always prepared to deliver exceptional value to our clients. Ready to refine your sales approach and achieve greater success? Connect with Acquirent and let’s elevate your sales game together! Acquirent | #SalesExcellence #SalesTips #SalesMeeting

Sales Lessons from My Early Days I still remember my early days in sales, eager to close deals but often leaving meetings without a clear next step. I'd walk out feeling great about the conversation, only to realize I'd forgotten to schedule the follow-up meeting. It was like leaving a puzzle half-solved! But then I learned a valuable lesson: always book that follow-up meeting before leaving the room. It's like locking in the progress you've made and keeping the momentum going. Now, I make sure to schedule that next meeting on the spot. It shows my commitment to the client's success, keeps the conversation fresh in their minds, and avoids the risk of getting lost in their busy schedules. Don't make the same mistake I did! Book that follow-up meeting and watch your sales pipeline grow. #SalesLessons #FollowUp #SalesSuccess.

Today's Slattery Sales tip: Strategically defend the business you've already won. You did a great job positioning your value to get the business. 🥳   Your competitors are doing the same thing right now. 😱 Your best customer is being discussed in someone else’s sales meeting. 🎯 💡 Here are 4 ways to defend your accounts strategically 💡 ➡️ 1) Make sure your Client Success team, your Account Managers, and anyone involved in retaining this customer are empowered to continue selling your value into that relationship long after the ink has dried. They’re not just there for their technical expertise, but also for their ability to communicate. ➡️ 2) Make sure they know the difference between selling and telling. Especially if they’re skilled subject-matter experts who are good at explaining things. Asking questions, leveraging value, and engaging neutral or even hostile players (and keeping their goodwill) may be outside their current skillset. Help them if necessary. ➡️ 3) Keep your channels open to the players in the cast of characters who will value your unique Differentiating Value (DV) – they’re often not the same people your team got handed off to at implementation. The original executives who valued your unique DV are the ones being targeted by skilled competitors. Keep them close. ➡️ 4) Yesterday’s differentiators are today’s table stakes; refresh your Differentiating Value (DV) regularly to stay agile. The marketplace terrain shifts, competitors’ solutions catch up, and prospects’ needs & desires change. The best, longest-lasting DV is usually hidden in your business model. ✨ There’s more where this came from in our new book, “Wimp Junction” – see link in first comments! ✨ If you're new, welcome! 🤓 I'm Jennica, and I'm passionate about empowering great sellers and companies to win complex sales. Check out the link in the first comment to grab our new book and learn more about what we do. 🥂 #slatterysales #salestips #complexsales

Are you getting bad news on your deals when it’s too late? Beth, a junior sales rep, was excellent at networking with business professionals, connecting the dots to open new doors and create new sales leads. Beth excelled at getting appointments for initial meetings with prospective customers. Beth leveraged her outgoing personality, powers of persuasion, and sheer persistence to identify new sales opportunities. However, her skills did not carry forward through the rest of the sales cycle. When working with a prospective customer, she did NOT: ❌ ask the difficult questions to qualify the customer’s intent ❌ confirm their ability to authorize expenditures ❌ present a compelling message that captivated the customer ❌ uniquely differentiate her solution ❌ drop unqualified leads before it was too late. As a result, Beth ended up winning a very low percentage of deals she pursued. Too often, these deals appeared to be advancing and she even forecasted them to win… Only to receive the bad news later that her team had lost. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Beth committed to enhancing her selling skills and was a student in our Great Communicator course. She learned to quickly apply the proven lessons in her selling efforts and refined those new skills over time. What Beth learned: → Ruthless Qualification - either engage or disqualify a prospective customer. → Gain access to customer executives and confidently conduct meaningful conversations after establishing equal business stature → Articulate her solution’s unique differentiators in her customer’s language… and do this during every time                → Prove the substantial business value her solutions will deliver while gaining agreement on the potential value from your customer → Develop a champion who can coach her through the maze within the customer’s organization → Be completely aligned with her customer on the remaining actions, timing, and who is responsible to execute each action. THE RESULT For two years in a row, Beth exceeded quota and made President’s Club! Beth contributed substantially to her team’s success. Beth effectively transformed her sales career through hard work, dedication to continuous learning, and applying the right strategies that helped her qualify and advance more sales opportunities… and win more deals. 

“The days of relying solely on personal relationships are over," argues John "JB" Butel, a seasoned technology sales negotiation strategist. He'll speak about the evolution of IT channel sales at CRN Pipeline on August 14: https://lnkd.in/geunEV7T “We've shifted away from heavily relying on relationship-building, as clients often keep their distance during the initial years of engagement,” Butel said. The traditional “my customer” relationship scenario, where securing deals hinges on personal “mateship”, is becoming obsolete, he argued. See the Pipeline agenda and register your interest in attending: https://lnkd.in/gD5Rk4_E #crnpipeline